Half-time (music)

In popular music, half-time is a type of meter and tempo that alters the rhythmic feel by essentially doubling the tempo resolution or metric division/level in comparison to common-time.

Though notes usually get the same value relative to the tempo, the way the beats are divided is altered.

"Half"-time refers to halving this division (divide each measure into quarter notes with the ride pattern), while "double"-time refers to doubling this division (divide each measure into sixteenth notes with the ride pattern).

Some of the variations of the basic groove are notoriously difficult to play on drum set.

In jazz the term means using note values twice as fast as previously but without changing the pace of the chord progressions.

Basic time signatures : 4
4 , also known as common time ( common time ); 2
2 , also known as cut time or cut-common time ( cut time ); etc.
Rhythm pattern characteristic of much popular music including rock ( Play ⓘ ), quarter note (crotchet) or "regular" time: "bass drum on beats 1 and 3 and snare drum on beats 2 and 4 of the measure [bar]...add eighth notes [quavers] on the hi-hat". [ 1 ]
Quarter note shuffle [ 3 ] play ⓘ
"Basic half time shuffle" [ 4 ] play ⓘ .
Double-time: notice the snare moves to the "&" beats while the hi-hat begins to subdivide sixteenth notes (semiquavers). Play ⓘ Note also, for example, that the eighth notes (quavers) 'sound like' quarter notes (crotchets) in two tiny measures (bars).